Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation. More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Ceilidh Chaplin | Slow fashion, natural dyer.

I’m from West Wales in the UK. I had a very open and liberal upbringing in the countryside with quite a quirky family. My father was an incredible musician, artist, antique dealer and an all round eccentric character and I do think that had a huge impact on who I am today. I was never “book smart” like my mother and older sisters but I am good with people. And that is one of the things I enjoy most about having a brand actually, the connections and interactions I make with clients and other creators. Sometimes I receive the sweetest and most unexpected messages, it is really one of the best perks to being such a tiny brand, to be able to connect in that way. I have always enjoyed making things with textiles. I went to a Steiner school when I was young and I adored the handwork lessons. I have such fond memories of knitting and felting and cross stitching. I also studied knitwear at London College of Fashion but I never felt drawn to doing fashion the “fashiony” way, if that makes sense? I’m not really that interested in things like fashion week or trends. I just like making what I like making which are usually oversized, comfortable naturally dyed or knitted garments. Read more>>

Sandy Borgman | Retiree enjoying life to the fullest

I grew up in Chicago as the oldest of five siblings. I have always been a very physically active person enjoting biking and roller skating in my childhood and hiking, backpacking, kayaking, biking, backcountry skiing and resort skiing since moving to Colorado. My love of crafts started in high school when I took a home economics class. I started making my own clothes which continued through my life. I ventured into other crafts such as macrame, home decorating, kniting and crochet and anything else that caught my interest mostly self taught. About 30 years ago I took a stained glass class and made several projects. Although, I enjoyed the craft, I found I didn’t have enough time to perfect the craft due to space, children and work. I set that aside until about seven years ago upon retirement when I took another refresher class and I was again hooked. I enjoy the creativity and mostly choosing the glass colors reflecting the light. Read more>>

Christopher Morse | Singer/songwriter

I grew up on the East Coast, and my family bounced around a bit before landing in New Jersey, where I spent most of my childhood. Both of my parents are classical musicians, so music has always been a huge part of my life. I was also lucky enough to attend the American Boychoir School from 5th-8th grade, which was basically like Hogwarts for singing. It was a very serious classically based all boys choir, and I got to tour the country with them, had school on the bus, sang in Carnegie Hall, and performed with the New York Philharmonic many times. That experience threw me into the deep end of singing and then in high school I started learning guitar after hearing John Mayer’s first record – Room For Squares. That’s when I started writing my own music and with the foundation that the Boychoir gave me, I was able to start performing in college. Read more>>

Odelia Elgarat | Author, The Legacy Writing Guide, Certified Guided Autobiography Instructor.

My upbringing in Paris, France, and subsequent years in Israel have deeply influenced the person I am today. Growing up surrounded by Paris’s artistic richness exposed me to a world of culture, where I spent countless hours exploring museums and libraries. This early immersion fostered a profound appreciation for art, literature, and history, shaping my insatiable curiosity about the world. Read more>>

Phillip Virden | Humanitarian/Educator/Astronomer

I grew up in Garland, Texas, a mid-sized town near Dallas. I had great family support from my mom, dad, and two older brothers to pursue my dreams. When I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to serve humanity in some way. I went to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas and had thoughts of getting a degree in theology and possibly becoming a minister (not an evangelist) who would serve those in need. As it turned out, I instead entered the field of “Communication Arts” and was able to experience many different subjects…journalism, public relations, radio/TV broadcasting, advertising, reader’s theatre, marketing, and film. While in college, I also was an active volunteer helping underprivileged youth in the Dallas area. I also helped out with SMU’s spring film festival (where I got to meet such iconic cinematic figures as Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Dennis Hopper, Howard Morris, movie critics Roger Ebert and Judith Crist, and director Raoul Walsh. Read more>>

Cam Torrens | Award-winning author and Search & Rescue Volunteer

I grew up in western Washington State and attended the US Air Force Academy in Colorado. I spent thirty years (and one month) in the Air Force as a mobility pilot, diplomat at the US Embassy in Beijing, China, and a Professor of Aerospace Studies at Virginia Tech. During that time, I married my beautiful bride of 34 years, and we raised six kids, including four adopted from China and Russia. Read more>>